Development & Programs Manager

About DKT International

DKT International is a global leader in social marketing and reproductive health, operating across 100+ countries. We operate like a startup that’s been achieving results for 35 years — with a lean, high-performing team in Washington, DC. We move fast and believe that commercial thinking drives better outcomes than traditional charity models. We treat fundraising as a growth function, and we need a Development & Programs Manager who brings the same mindset: disciplined, detail-oriented, and motivated by what the funding actually produces in the field.

We actively welcome applications from candidates coming out of the private sector — project management, business development, client services, operations, or consulting — who are ready to put their commercial skills to work for a social mission. If you’ve managed complex multi-stakeholder projects, written business cases, or kept demanding clients informed and compliant, those skills transfer directly. Nonprofit experience is not required. Rigor and ownership are.

You’ll work closely with the Director of Development, Communications & Programs to execute a well-defined fundraising and program management strategy — and within that, you’ll have real responsibility for the outcomes.

The Role

This role is for someone who wants to own execution — not just contribute to it.

You’ll own the grant cycle from proposal to closeout — bringing coherence, compliance, and rigorous knowledge management to a global portfolio of donor-funded programs, and building the systems that mean nothing falls through the cracks across field offices in 100+ countries. This isn’t a role where you’ll be writing memos for someone else to act on — you’ll be the one acting.

Think of it as managing a global client portfolio in a professional services or consulting environment — except the ‘clients’ are institutional donors and the deliverables fund reproductive health programs that reach millions of people. The compliance standards are high, the stakeholders are global, and the work is visible.

This is a role that rewards people who find genuine satisfaction in a well-structured CRM, a clean shared drive, and a compliance tracker that’s always current — and who understand that in global development, that discipline is what protects the mission. The role may also involve supervising 1–2 junior team members.

What You’ll Execute

Grant Writing & Donor Engagement

• Lead grant writing and submission processes — LOIs, full proposals, results frameworks, theories of change — within the fundraising strategy set with your Director
• Conduct prospect research to identify new institutional funding opportunities: bilateral donors, foundations, EU agencies, UN bodies
• Build working relationships with institutional donors and partners, supported by senior leadership for strategic relationship management
• Coordinate with field offices to support in-country fundraising efforts and adapt materials for specific funder requirements

Program & Grant Management

• Oversee donor-funded program delivery across global field offices — you’re accountable for compliance, reporting, and results
• Own the knowledge management infrastructure: grant files, shared drives, CRM records, and reporting trackers — kept current, coherent, and audit-ready at all times
• Build and maintain the tools, templates, and frameworks that make grant management scalable as the portfolio grows
• Support monitoring and evaluation activities and translate results into compelling donor-facing reporting
• Work with finance to align funding activities with audit requirements and revenue recognition

Team & Systems

• Potentially mentor and manage 1–2 junior staff members, including modeling the organizational habits and systems discipline the role requires
• Continuously improve DKT’s CRM and internal grant data systems — proactively identifying gaps before they become problems

Requirements

• Have 3–5 years of experience managing complex projects, proposals, or client deliverables — in any sector — and want that work to fund something that matters.
• Execute with urgency and don’t need to be reminded twice.
• Write clearly and persuasively — whether that’s a grant proposal, a results framework, or a donor report.
• Have responded to formal calls for proposals or tenders — from institutional donors, government bodies, or large commercial clients — and delivered on what was promised.
• Get genuine satisfaction from a well-organized system — a logical folder structure, a CRM that’s actually up to date, a tracker no one has to chase you for.
• Are organized, deadline-driven, and comfortable managing multiple workstreams at different stages simultaneously.
• Bring a background in reproductive health, social marketing, or social entrepreneurship — or are genuinely curious about it.
• Work well within a structure: you take direction seriously, ask good questions, and execute without needing to be followed up with.
• Are proficient in Microsoft Office; CRM and AI tool familiarity is a plus.

Why DKT

We cover 90% of your medical, dental, and vision premiums. We contribute 10% of your salary to your retirement account every pay period — no match required, no vesting cliff. We also provide employer-paid disability and life insurance, and offer hybrid flexibility in Washington, DC.

You’ll be working on programs that reach people in 90+ countries, mentored by a Director with deep experience in the field, and in a role where your output directly funds the mission. If you’ve been looking for a way to bring your commercial skills into work that genuinely matters — this is a real path to doing that.

Base compensation: $75,000–$85,000 based on experience.